Student Employment
On-Campus Employment
As an F-1 or J-1 student, you have the opportunity to engage in on-campus work if working will not interfere with your enrollment or delay your degree completion.
If you are a new student, you are eligible to work on campus after checking in with the International Programs Office (IPO) up to 30 days before the start of the term.
If you are a transfer student you are eligible to work as soon as you receive your I-20 from ISU.
Limitations
On-campus work is limited to part-time (20 hours or less per week) during the fall and spring semesters. It may be full-time (more than 20 hours per week) during the summer and official school breaks.
F-1 students: On-campus work does not require special authorization, but you must maintain your full-time student status or your work on-campus will become illegal.
J-1 students: On-campus work does require prior authorization from your IPO advisor. Please call our office to set up an appointment.
The Career Center can assist you with searching for an on-campus job by registering on Handshake. Go to the Handshake webpage for more information.
Economic Hardship
You may be eligible for Economic Hardship Work Authorization if you have experienced a severe and unforeseen change in your economic situation.
Examples of such unforeseen circumstances include:
- unexpected loss of sponsorship
- medical bills
- substantial shift in the value of your home country’s currency.
If granted, you will be allowed to work off campus in any job for 20 hours per week while school is in session and 40 hours during vacation breaks. Authorization is given one year at a time and may be renewed.
To qualify you must meet all eligibility requirements, be in good academic standing, and have been a full-time F-1 student for nine consecutive months.
Authorization is required from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The application requires a significant fee and approval is not guaranteed. To apply, gather the documents found in the Economic Hardship Application Checklist(PDF) and schedule an appointment to meet with your IPO advisor.